Energy

Energy is precious and how we handle it can impact our business, our communities and the planet. The future of alternative power sources like wind and water excites us. That's one reason we see energy as more than a resource. It's an opportunity to make a meaningful difference.

Manufacturing Facility Engineering Manager John Maravich explains what powers his passion for energy at Tom's of Maine.

Beyond propane

Natural gas isn't the ultimate energy source, but we think for our purposes it's a step forward from propane. We hosted an
Environmental Defense Fund
fellow and worked closely with her for guidance on energy efficiency. She identified natural gas as an immediate opportunity.

Propane is no longer used at our manufacturing facility

Natural gas is now piped directly into our facility, saving energy and eliminating the carbon emissions tied to delivering propane by truck

Covering more ground with a smarter footprint

Our products are made here in Maine, but wind up on store shelves all over the country. We used to truck them to destinations from Kennebunk to California. But we've made big changes to make a bigger difference.

Customer Service and Logistics Manager Brian Peabody believes our new distribution system is a big achievement in sustainability.

Saving energy is in the air

Ever bought an appliance for the energy savings? Many manufacturing facilities use air compressors to channel different forms of energy and we are no different. We recently purchased a new air compressor that's easily justified by the amount of energy it saves.

Our old air compressor system was actually a bunch of air compressors used for different purposes

We bought one new air compressor to replace them all and kept the old ones for backup

It adjusts to our needs efficiently throughout the day

Our new compressor is projected to save 25% less energy (electrical kilowatts per year) than the previous system

Wind, water and wiser

When you know better, you can do better. That's why we're embracing alternative energy sources. Both our headquarters in Kennebunk, Maine and our manufacturing facility in Sanford, Maine continue to plug into a renewable future.

The electricity used in our manufacturing facility is 100% offset by Green-e Certified renewable energy credits from wind power

Manufacturing Facility Engineering Manager John Maravich explains how wind power works at our manufacturing facility.

More product without more energy

Keeping your tires properly inflated is just one way to boost your car's mileage, right? And that can save gas and money. Our manufacturing facility equipment behaves in much the same way. That's why we put together a team of experts at our facility, including mechanics, to look for ways of getting better "mileage". Running our equipment more efficiently and more professionally ultimately proved to be our biggest energy-saving idea of 2013.

We now make 44% more toothpaste and deodorant in the same amount of time compared to just a few years ago

Equipment that's more productive doesn't need to operate as long each day which cuts electricity and natural gas use

Lighting-up energy savings

Did you know an LED light bulb can use as much as 75% less energy than a traditional incandescent bulb? It can also last 10 to 25 times longer! That's why we've started switching to LEDs.

Working to replace every bulb at our manufacturing facility in Sanford, Maine with LEDs, and then recycling the old bulbs

Will light more than 110,000 square feet with less energy

Sensors already in place to help optimize light use

Smaller ideas in the big picture

When you're committed to saving energy, it becomes a way of life. You do things without thinking, like turning off lights when you leave the room. That's the way we live at Tom's of Maine both as individuals and as a team. Like you, we realize every effort counts. Here are two examples:

Half-pallets for a full load

We used to ship our products on fully stocked pallets packed into trucks. Now we create half-pallets too, to fit more products into available truck space. The goal is fewer truck trips, less energy use and less carbon emissions as a result. We're definitely seeing a difference!

Fanning the floor

Warm air rises. That's why a powerful fan near our tall manufacturing facility ceiling now circulates heated air more effectively toward the floor where our employees work. It helps us minimize energy used for heating our facility.

The central fan that makes sure our heated air comforts our employees in the winter and not our ceiling.

Customer Service and Logistics Manager Brian Peabody is excited about the results of fitting more products into trucks that travel from our manufacturing facility to our distribution centers.

Progress snapshot

Using more trains and fewer trucks to haul our products to stores across the country is just part of the reason we made substantial progress in our goal of reducing carbon emissions from transportation. We've already reached our original goal for the year 2020 so we're setting the bar even higher with a new 2020 goal.

Our manufacturing facility in Sanford, Maine remains at the heart of our energy revolution. From wind power and LED light bulbs to better use of our equipment, we continue to uncover meaningful opportunities to improve and conserve. By working closely with the Environmental Defense Fund, we are mapping out a future that will bring even more exciting changes at Tom's of Maine for years to come. And we will never stop challenging ourselves and our partners to do more for the sake of our communities and the planet we share.